1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for exercising various core muscle groups. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for exercising core muscle groups for supporting, improving, and maintaining proper posture.
2. Description of Prior Art
The prior art is replete with examples of various exercise devices and the like for targeting specific muscle groups. Those muscle groups central to maintaining correct posture involve core type muscle groups. A number of bar-like exercises devices designed to rest on or about the shoulders for training core muscle groups are among the more relevant art pertaining to this specification, some of which are briefly described hereinafter.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,781 ('781 patent), which issued to Kane, discloses a Body Waist Exerciser. The '781 patent describes an exerciser for use by golfers for training body muscles to twist and bend as muscles normally do in a conventional golf swing, or for the general public in body-building, there is provided an elongated exerciser shaft of about 40 inches in length and 1 or 2 inches in cross-sectional diameter, the shaft having a mid-section of yoke shape-defined arc of 180 degrees of a size about snugly fittable around the neck of a person at shoulder height, with the yoke mid-section arcing from alignment between proximal ends of about diametrically oppositely extending elongated shafts, the arced mid-section being such that the oppositely extending shafts are positioned substantially forwardly of the body of the shoulders respectively when the yoke mid-section is mounted around the back of a person's neck, thereby avoid unnatural tensions on the shoulders during a draping of respective fore-arms forwardly over the respective shafts distal portions thereby making possible a natural upright posture while moving the upper torso to and fro while maintaining from the waist downwardly substantially stationary in order to reduce flabbiness around the waist, the cross-section of the respective elongated shafts being substantially rounded and the shafts each gradually tapering in distally outward directions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,414 ('414 patent), which issued to Fredrickson et al, discloses a Body Exercising Device. The '414 patent describes a rigid exercising bar device for performing twisting and bending exercises about the waist is provided, comprising an elongated curved middle portion and two curved end portions, the middle portion being bowed or contoured for a comfortable and effective fit around the neck and on the shoulders, the end portions being curved along a different plane and outwardly and downwardly relative to the middle portion, and serving as hand grips for the user such that the arms are comfortably extended during use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,158 ('158 patent), which issued to Tassone, discloses a Sit Up Exercise Aid. The '158 patent describes a sit up exercise bar employed to add resistance for sit up exercises, and positions the subject's hands and arms so as to produce a fluent motion, reducing stresses on the lower back. The sit up bar has yoke form of a pair of aligned straight sections and a central neck bow which curves behind the subject's neck. A pair of handles extends forward from the respective straight sections. These position the subject's hands in front of the shoulders or particularly, a few inches in front of the anterior deltoid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,150 ('150 patent), which issued to Stas et al., discloses a Head Rest and Neck Support Assembly. The '150 patent describes an improved head rest and neck support assembly for seating furniture. The assembly contains an elongated support bar which is mounted horizontally to the seating furniture behind the neck of a prospective user. One end of the support bar has a pivoting carrying element with a cushion attached thereto. The cushion may swivel between a neck support position and a side head rest position. In a second embodiment, the elongated support bar in the assembly has a groove running the length of the bar. The cushion is also elongated and possesses a track or partial track which cooperates with the groove in the elongated support bar to allow the elongated cushion to slide horizontally along the bar. A portion of the track is capable of exiting the groove and allowing the elongated cushion to bend into an L-shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,903 ('903 patent), which issued to Chang, discloses an Exercise Bar Assembly. The '903 patent describes an exercise bar assembly for use as a push up device, sit up device and a hanging bar includes a shaft with first and second ends, first and second C-shaped handles disposed on the shaft, an inner pipe enclosing a middle portion of the shaft, an outer pipe enclosing the inner pipe and a hollow outer sleeve enclosing the outer pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,652,431 ('431 patent), which issued to Mattox, discloses a Squat Exercise Hook Harness. The '431 patent describes a squat exercising hook harness comprising a pair of generally parallel aligned bars interconnected and spaced by a joining member to accommodate the neck of a person therebetween. The aligned bars each include bends therein that define a base section and a chest section. The chest sections are spaced by the base sections from the joining member. The base sections define a base plane and the chest sections form an obtuse angle in combination with the base sections. Each free end of the chest sections has an upturned portion at the end. A T-member has a leg and a cross bar connected to a first end of the leg. A second end of the leg is connected to a midpoint of the joining member so that the T-member extends from the joining member in an inverted fashion and defines an angle between the range of 60 degrees to 120 degrees with the base plane.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0211551, which was authored by Mandell, discloses and describes an Exercise Device and certain associated methodology. The device's aim is to improve a user's posture. Even though the exercise device is portable, it provides an active workout of those muscles involved in maintaining correct posture. In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, the exercise device in accordance with the present invention includes a spacer. One end of the spacer is placed against the user's body and the other end forms a fixed pivot point for the device. In one embodiment of the invention, the exercise device includes a pair of spaced apart handle bars coupled to a flexible member and a spacer for spacing the device away from the user's body. The spacer may either be a separate device or integrally formed with the other members. With the handle bars spaced away from the user's body, the spacer allows the user to repetitively bend and straighten the flexible member to strengthen those muscles associated with proper posture. Alternate embodiments of the exercise bar include an adjustable tension mechanism and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the distance between the handlebars. Also disclosed is various exercise methods for use with a flexible or deformable bar in which the user's body forms a fixed pivot point.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0032355, which was authored by DiGiacomo, discloses and describes and Exercise Device either in assembled or kit form, particularly for emulating and improving a golf swing. The apparatus includes an elongate bar having hand grips each disposed at opposite ends thereon, and a neck support disposed at a substantially central portion of the bar. The bar includes at least one forearm plate permanently or removably attached on an underside near either end of the bar. At least one resistance band is provided, although a plurality is preferably provided in the kit form, for removable attachment of the forearm plate with a foot brace. Such removable attachment advantageously facilitates changing of resistance bands to different levels of resistance/length, switching of the foot brace, as well as, e.g., in an embodiment including two forearm plates, switching between attachment of the resistance band to either forearm plate. Accordingly, a user may work both the right or left side muscle groups.
It may be seen from a review of the prior art that the prior art fails to disclose a method and apparatus for improving posture as described in more detail hereinafter.